


Start The New Year Off Right

by mylifeiskara



Series: t100 Fic for BLM Prompts [12]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-24 10:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30070932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylifeiskara/pseuds/mylifeiskara
Summary: With only a week left before Josephine moves away to Sanctum to start her new job, Clarke is determined that they have a great last hurrah, starting with attending the Arkadia Foundation's New Year's Eve celebration. However, Clarke gets more than she bargained for when Josephine dares her to find someone to kiss when the clock strikes midnight.
Relationships: Clarke Griffin/John Murphy, Josephine Lightbourne/Gabriel Santiago | Xavier
Series: t100 Fic for BLM Prompts [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2105646
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4
Collections: The t100 Writers for BLM Initiative





	Start The New Year Off Right

**Author's Note:**

  * For [animmortalist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/animmortalist/gifts).



> Hello!
> 
> This is a very belated New Year's Eve prompt through t100 Fic for BLM! If you'd like to learn more about the initiative or prompt a fic of your own, check out [our carrd](https://t100fic-for-blm.carrd.co/).

Clarke stares at herself in the mirror, a sense of anticipation bubbling in her stomach. She’s always loved New Year’s Eve, mainly because it’s the one night a year where she really just allows herself to let loose. Or at least, that’s what Josephine would tell her. When Clarke was growing up, New Year’s Eve always meant a fancy benefit party at whatever hospital her mother was working at. She learned pretty quickly she would only have fun if she and her friend Wells snuck a decent amount of alcohol beforehand. So maybe she did let loose a bit more than usual on New Year’s Eve. But those events were always so stuffy, who could blame her?

She reaches for her lipstick and applies it as Josephine comes back into the bathroom, holding shot glasses and a bottle of whiskey.

“Why do you look like someone just died, it’s New Year’s Eve!” Josephine says, holding out a shot glass for her. “And you can’t be sad on my last hurrah.”

Clarke chuckles and takes the shot glass from her friend. “Well I am a little sad. You’re deserting me for Sanctum.”

Josephine pours whiskey into their glasses. “You’re not allowed to get sad yet. We have one more week. And you have to be fun Clarke tonight, or else what’s the point?”

“I’m always fun!” Clarke protests.

Her friend raises an eyebrow at her.

“Okay, I promise to be fun tonight. I mean, I think it’s pretty fun that I got us into this party in the first place.”

“You’re right. Honestly, you’re a genius for thinking of that one.”

Clarke’s mom works at Polis General Hospital, and as such, she’s always being invited to fancy and exclusive parties. Clarke has celebrated many a New Year’s Eve before, but she much prefers drinking champagne she could never afford with stuffy people who only let loose once a year to being felt up in a crowded club where the tequila is outrageously overpriced.

This year, Clarke’s mom is spending New Year’s at a resort, thanks to a nice Christmas present from Marcus, her new husband and Clarke’s stepdad. When Clarke was over at her mom’s house for Christmas, she noticed an invitation in the study for the Arkadia Foundation’s New Year’s Eve party. Obviously her mother couldn’t attend, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t reserve tickets for her daughter and a guest instead.

“It took a long time to perfect Abby Griffin’s austere phone voice, but I can’t act like it hasn’t paid off,” Clarke says, a sneaky smile spreading across her face.

Josephine laughs and raises her shot glass in a toast. “To one last hurrah!”

Clarke raises her own. “It’s not our last hurrah. Just our last one for a while.”

“Come on, Clarke, you know that doesn’t sound as snappy.”

She chuckles, shaking her head at her best friend. “Fine. To one last hurrah.”

They clink glasses then down their shots. Clarke clears her throat as the whiskey goes down, then turns her attention back to finishing her make-up.

“You know a way you could make this evening really fun for me?” Josephine asks after a moment. Clarke looks at her in the mirror and sees that devilish glint she gets in her eyes every time she has an idea that Clarke’s not sure she’ll approve of.

“I’m almost afraid to ask,” Clarke says.

“It’s nothing bad, I promise. Just a fun little game.”

“Please elaborate.”

Josephine messes with her hair in the mirror as she speaks. “So New Year’s Eve tends to be pretty lame when you’re single. And unfortunately this year, we are both very single.”

Clarke grimaces. “Thanks for reminding me.”

“Hmm, well I guess maybe it’s fortunate in your case, seeing as Finn was such a douche by the end of your relationship.”

“Your point, Josie?”

“My point being, what’s New Year’s Eve if you’re not swapping spit with a stranger at the stroke of midnight, am I right? So I propose that we both find someone at the party to kiss at midnight.”

Clarke hesitates before answering, taking great care to put all of her make-up back in her bag. “But we don’t know anyone at this party.”

Josephine rolls her eyes. “Yeah, Clarke, that is the exact definition of a stranger. Come on, you have to live a little. What happened to fun Clarke for my last hurrah?”

“She’s right here!”

From Josephine’s raised eyebrow, it’s clear she doesn’t believe Clarke. Sure, Clarke has always been the least adventurous of the two, but this finding someone to kiss at midnight seems like a difficult task. For one thing, they’re going to a party where most of the guests will be at least ten years older than them, meaning they’re probably married. For another, ever since things with Finn went to shit, Clarke has sworn off dating and romance. This isn’t something she’s verbally stated, so Josephine has no clue. But it’s simpler and a lot easier than the heartache she’d been feeling. Things were just starting to finally get back to normal.

Josephine steps closer to Clarke, a determined look on her face. “I dare you.”

Clarke groans. Josephine knows her well enough to know that she never backs down from a challenge. She’s way too stubborn for that.

“Fine, you win,” she says. “I’ll find someone to kiss at midnight.”

Josephine squeals, pulling Clarke in for a hug. “Fun Clarke has arrived!”

“I think I’m gonna need a few more shots before I’m ready to be fun Clarke.”

“I’ve got you covered.”

Half an hour later, Clarke is sufficiently tipsy in the back of her Lyft with Josephine on the way to the party. She tries not to think too hard about the fact that her best friend is leaving her. She knows the research job in Sanctum is an amazing opportunity for Josephine, and she couldn’t be prouder. But as the date of her departure has crept closer and closer, Clarke finds herself getting sadder and sadder. But she can’t let herself be sad tonight. She’s fun Clarke, just like she promised Josie. She can wallow about her friend leaving her in the morning.

They arrive at the Arkadia Foundation’s building. It’s one of the swankier buildings in town, Polis being a fairly old city with old infrastructure that people fight tooth and nail to keep the same to preserve the “historic nature”. Clarke’s always found it stupid, and has loved the Arkadia Foundation building out of spite. It’s a newer building that still manages to blend in with the older buildings that have been around for ages. She admires it as she walks past it everyday on her way to the gallery where she works. It almost feels surreal that she finally gets to go inside.

Clarke presents her mother’s invitation to the man at the door and he checks them both off his list before letting them in. Her breath catches in her throat as they walk in. Josephine practically vibrates with excitement next to her, shaking Clarke’s shoulder as they walk through the front hall and into the ballroom. It’s the exact picture of opulence that Clarke has come to expect from these sorts of events, and even still she finds a way to marvel at it. She can’t help but look up at the high ceilings and chandeliers as they walk further into the ballroom. Multicolored lights dance around the room, providing somewhat of a club atmosphere, which is an odd contrast to the fancy people that are at this event. But maybe it’s their one night a year to feel like somebody they’re not. Clarke understands that. It’s how she’s survived many of these exact same events over the years.

She walks arm-in-arm with Josephine as they survey the room on their way to the bar. With her best friend by her side, she feels confident, powerful. It’s hard to imagine these sorts of functions without her, but she swallows down the sadness and follows Josephine’s lead as they grab glasses of champagne and take up residence at a high top table.

**_________________________**

Josephine Lightbourne is always up for a challenge. Whether it’s moving across the country to a place she hardly knows for an amazing job opportunity, or getting Clarke to loosen up for once in her life, she knows she can handle anything. So as she stands in her favorite pink sparkly dress, glass of champagne in hand, she’s ready to ring in the New Year tonguing down a complete stranger. She sips her champagne, scanning the room for someone that piques her interest.

“It kind of seems like all the men here are married,” Clarke remarks.

Josephine laughs. “Clarke, don’t use that as an excuse to back out of this. I dared you, remember? And please, there has to be at least one guy who’s unattached, if that’s really so much of a problem for you.”

“Well let me know if you see anyone who’s less than ten years older than us.”

“That’s a dealbreaker, too? Are you sure fun Clarke is here tonight?”

“She’s here!” Clarke protests. “She just didn’t fully think about what she was getting into with this dare.”

“Well lucky for you, it’s only 10:30. Still plenty of time to find someone and seduce them. It’s not like it’ll be that hard. Come on, you’re hot!” Josephine says, patting her friend’s arm.

Clarke blushes before taking a sip of her champagne.

“And listen, I know you’re more upset about how things ended with Finn than you let on,” Josephine continues. “I thought this might be a fun distraction. You can chat it up with some hot people and maybe get him off your mind.”

“I guess you’re right.”

She leans in slightly closer to Clarke. “Can I let you in on a little secret?”

Clarke nods. “Sure.”

“You don’t have to take this task so seriously like you do everything else.”

They both laugh and Josephine pulls Clarke in for a hug. Clarke frowns once they pull apart.

“What was that for?” she asks.

Josephine shakes her head. “Nothing. Just getting in my hugs while I still can.”

Clarke chuckles. “Well, I’m going to look and see what kind of food they have. Are you good to stay here?”

“Yeah. I’ll keep searching for my mystery man to smooch.”

“Cool. Be back soon.” With that, Clarke walks off in the direction of the food, leaving Josephine by herself.

Josephine continues to scan the room while her friend is gone. She’s determined to focus on this mission of finding a guy to kiss at midnight. It’s one of the only things stopping her from getting a little sad about the fact that she has to leave for Sanctum next week. Sure, she’s excited about the amazing opportunity that awaits her. And as a matter of principle, she always feigns confidence. But that doesn’t mean she’s not a little terrified. Finding someone to kiss at midnight is as much a distraction for her as it is for Clarke. She just hopes that it works out in her favor.

She looks around the room, searching for men that don’t seem to have a woman attached to their sides. As much as Josephine had just joked about kissing a married man to Clarke, it would probably be easier to convince someone who’s unattached that making out with a stranger seems like a good idea. Sure, society people let loose at events like this, but it’s not something she can count on. Josephine frowns. Every time her eyes land on a great prospect, there’s always another person right nearby. Maybe Clarke was right about this being more difficult than she’d originally thought. But she isn’t ready to accept defeat yet. She’s still got the whole evening ahead of her.

“People watching can be really fun at events like these,” comes an unfamiliar voice from next to her. Josephine turns to find a tall, attractive man standing beside her. She’s usually not affected by people and their looks, but this guy is definitely an exception as she finds her heart fluttering in her chest. He gives her a friendly smile that she can’t help but return.

“Yeah,” she begins. “It’s always fun to watch bougie people interact with one another. I should know, I’m bougie myself.”

He laughs at that, and Josephine is pleased that her joke landed. She can’t help but marvel at the way his eyes crinkle as he smiles at her.

“Gabriel Santiago,” the man says, extending his hand.

Josephine smiles and shakes his outstretched hand. “Josephine Lightbourne.”

“A beautiful name for a beautiful woman,” he declares.

She giggles, surprised that she’s already so charmed by him. She’s not usually like this. But if New Year’s Eve is good for anything, it’s good for throwing caution to the wind and experiencing things you wouldn’t normally. Josephine is thrown by how much she’s already drawn to this guy, but she lets it happen. She’s leaving in a week, anyway. What’s the harm?

**_________________________**

Clarke piles her plate high with mini appetizers and snacks. She’s already stuffed three mini cream puffs in her mouth as she’s been assembling her plate, and they were absolutely worth it. She can always count on rich people to have the best food. It’s a shame that everything has to be miniature though, but she makes it work. She’s been to enough events like this that she knows what to eat in order to feel full.

Eventually Clarke decides she has enough food on her plate for her and Josephine. She turns around to head back to their table, but isn’t careful to look where she’s going and she bumps into a waiter carrying a heavy tray. Thankfully he doesn’t drop it, but not all of Clarke’s food can say the same.

“I’m so sorry!” Clarke says. “Great reflexes, though.”

The waiter scoffs. “Can’t say the same about you.”

She frowns, not expecting that response from him. Who does this guy think he is?

“You might wanna go check on the spot on your dress. Wouldn’t want it to stain,” he continues.

Clarke looks down to find that some chocolate from one of the cream puffs has gotten onto her dress. “Oh. Thanks.”

“Glad to have aided you in making your next dry cleaning bill cheaper.” With that, he stalks off back towards the kitchen. Clarke stares after him for a moment in disbelief. She doesn’t think she’s ever encountered a member of the catering staff that has such an attitude. He’s also a lot younger than some of the servers she sees at these, probably closer to her age. She chalks it up to him maybe having a bad day and goes off in search of the bathroom.

She dabs at the chocolate on her dress with a wet paper towel, hoping it doesn’t leave too noticeable of a stain. Thankfully with a bit of dabbing it blends in, so she doesn’t worry too much about it for the time being. She has other things on her mind. Namely figuring out accomplishing this dare from Josephine. There are a lot of people at this event, but that doesn’t mean that Clarke thinks just anyone would be a good target in this situation. And that’s probably not the best way to think of a person she might be kissing at the end of the night. It sounds a little too predatory. She tries to calm her mind, knowing she’s definitely thinking way too hard about this, but she can’t help it. This whole thing might seem like a simple task to Josephine, but for Clarke it’s a lot more difficult.

She takes one last look in the mirror, letting out an exhale before she heads out of the bathroom and back to the party. Clarke heads for the bar, hoping that holding a drink in her hands will help her feel slightly less idle as she stands around at a party where she only knows one person. She contemplates going back over to Josephine and giving up on the dare. Maybe she’s just not in the right frame of mind to be fun Clarke tonight. Unfortunately, it seems like Josephine is otherwise occupied over at their table, talking up a very attractive man. Clarke watches as Josephine laughs at something the guy has just said, twirling a strand of hair in between her fingers. These sorts of things are always so easy for Josie. Clarke’s always been a little jealous of how guys seem to just be drawn to her friend. It’s as though great guys drop out of the sky for her. Clarke doesn’t completely understand the type of people that seem to be drawn to her. There’s never been a common thread.

“Ah, so you didn’t call it a night after your outfit got ruined?” comes a familiar voice. Clarke turns away from the bar to see the same waiter from earlier standing next to her, sans tray. She suppresses an eyeroll. This is exactly what she means when she has no idea what types of people are drawn to her.

“It was barely even noticeable,” she retorts. “But I appreciate you checking in.”

He chuckles. “All in a day’s work.”

Clarke raises an eyebrow. “Oh, really? I didn’t realize part of being on catering staff included making snide comments to party guests.”

“It’s a part of the experience that’s reserved for the pretty girls.” His blue eyes sparkle mischievously as he says this, and Clarke is only a little mad that she finds herself blushing at his comment. It isn’t even that good of a line.

“So you’re a sarcastic ass to girls you’re trying to flirt with?”

He shrugs. “I’m a sarcastic ass to everyone.”

Clarke chuckles at his comment. She knows his ego probably doesn’t need that, but she can’t help that she finds this guy kind of funny.

“I’m Murphy, by the way,” he continues.

She smiles. “Clarke. So tell me, Murphy. Did you draw the short straw getting stuck working on New Year’s Eve?”

Murphy shrugs. “Nah, I volunteered. I always find these parties entertaining, and they’re the best events for snagging leftovers. I think New Year’s Eve is pretty overrated anyway, so I don’t mind working when I know other people would rather have off to party. And time and a half doesn’t hurt, either.”

Clarke nods. “That’s fair. And I have to agree on New Year’s Eve being overrated. You only ever see couples making a big deal out of it.”

“If you feel that way, what are you doing out at a fancy party?”

“My best friend is moving away, so this is one of our last things we’re getting to do together before she goes to Sanctum next week. I thought it’d be nice to spend time with her, but she’s a bit preoccupied.” Clarke points to the table where Josephine is still enraptured in conversation with her mystery man.

Murphy’s eyebrows shoot up once his eyes land on them. “Wow. That guy’s hot. Good for your friend.”

Clarke laughs. “Right? I can’t even be mad, I’m mostly just impressed.”

“I’ll tell you what. I’m assuming you don’t know anyone else at this party. My break is in fifteen minutes, if you wanna commiserate more about how stupid New Year’s Eve is?”

Clarke studies Murphy for a moment, searching for some sort of sign that she shouldn’t blindly follow a random guy to hang out on his work break. She’s not sure what it is about him, maybe it’s his eyes, maybe it’s his sarcastic demeanor. But whatever it is, she feels like she wants to spend time with him, wants to figure him out.

“Okay,” she decides. “Where should I meet you?”

The crooked grin that spreads across Murphy’s face when she agrees to hang out with him is enough to make her stomach flip. For the first time, Clarke is actually excited for what the rest of the night has in store.

**_________________________**

Fifteen minutes into her conversation with Gabriel, Josephine is almost kicking herself for leaving Polis. It’s not like she knew the guy before tonight, but now she’s convinced that he’s perfect for her. He’s the first guy who hasn’t been intimidated by the fact that she’s a scientist and he actually asked further questions about her research. And on top of it all, he’s charming, funny, and insanely attractive. It’s as though someone tailored him specifically for her and plopped him down next to her, only for her to have to upend her life and move in a week’s time.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t think I would’ve pegged you for the type of person that frequents these sorts of parties,” Gabriel notes.

Josephine chuckles. “Well, I do love to keep people on their toes. But you’re right, this isn’t normally the type of event I would subject myself to. But I’m here with a friend whose mom is well connected and had an invite to this she wasn’t using.”

“Ah, makes sense.”

She leans her chin on her elbow, looking thoughtfully at Gabriel. “You know, I guess I could say the same thing about you. You’re definitely one of the younger people in the room.”

He chuckles. “Touche. The department head at the hospital I work at always just buys a bunch of tickets and they’re up for grabs to anyone who wants them. I can’t say no to free food.”

“Honestly, I think that’s the only reason my friend Clarke likes these parties. She went to get food ages ago, and at this point I’m not sure I’ll ever see her again.”

They both laugh and Josephine gets a little lost in Gabriel’s eyes. They’re dark, but they still sparkle in a way she never knew was possible. How is it possible that she’s so into this guy after barely an hour?

“I mean, I’m sure you came to this party to hang out with your friend, but I’m kind of glad to have you all to myself,” he says, leaning in a bit closer to her.

Josephine grins. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

“Would you like to dance?”

“I’d love to dance.”

Gabriel holds out his hand with a smile. Josephine takes it and they make their way to the dance floor. Quite a few other couples are scattered at different points of the floor, but Josephine is only focused on Gabriel. He spins her effortlessly to the music. It figures he’d be a great dancer. Is there anything this guy can’t do? Josephine laughs, having more fun than she’s ever had with a complete stranger. But as the night passes by, he begins to feel less and less like a stranger. She’s not sure how to describe it, but the whole thing almost feels too good to be true. And it is, since she’s leaving town in a week.

After a while a slow song comes on, and Gabriel extends his arms. Josephine steps into them, feeling comforted by him as they sway together. It feels almost perfect, to a scary degree.

“I hope this doesn’t sound too forward,” Gabriel begins, “but I was wondering if you’d like to go out on a date? Maybe some time next week?”

Josephine’s heart sinks as she looks up into his eyes. She hates that she has to give him bad news, when she wants so badly to say yes.

“Believe me, I’d love to. It’s just that I’m moving across the country next week.”

Gabriel’s eyes widen. “What?”

“I got a really great job opportunity in Sanctum. I’ll get to expand on my research. I’ll have my own team and everything.”

“That’s amazing. Why do you sound so upset, then?”

She ducks her head, feeling her face heat up. “You’ll think it’s stupid.”

“Try me.”

She dares herself to look into his eyes and sees the sincerity there. They pull her in, letting her know she can trust him.

“Gabriel, I’ve only known you for an hour, but it feels like I’ve known you my whole life. And it’s killing me a little bit inside that I’ll probably never see you again,” Josephine admits.

He smiles down at her. “I don’t think that’s stupid. It’s kind of nice to hear you say that, because I was feeling the same way about you.”

“I almost wish I didn’t have to go.”

“You don’t mean that. Judging from how you talked about your work earlier, I know you’re excited. But this just means we have to make the most of the time we have left, right?”

His words should make her sad, but they fill Josephine with a glimmer of hope. She smiles and nods her head. “I like the sound of that.”

**________________________**

Clarke sits on the bench where Murphy said to meet him. Thankfully the night isn’t all that cold, so the few minutes she’s been outside aren’t terrible. She has another plate of food perched on her lap, figuring Murphy might want a snack on his break. She’s never been a waiter, but she can imagine it might be hard to be around food and not be able to eat any of it.

After another minute, he comes outside, one arm behind his back. As he nears her, he lifts it, revealing a bottle of champagne.

“I didn’t bring glasses,” he says as he sits down. “I hope you’re not too bougie to drink out of the bottle.”

Clarke laughs. “Of course not. In fact, I’m a firm believer in drinking out of the bottle. That way you don’t dirty up too many glasses.”

Murphy chuckles. “I like the way you think, Clarke.”

She smiles and pushes the food towards him. “Thought you might want a snack.”

He grins. “God, I’ve been eyeing those cream puffs all night.” He stuffs one into his mouth and closes his eyes as he appreciates the taste. “Just like I imagined it. I need to ask how the chef makes the shells. I can never get mine this fluffy.”

Clarke’s eyes widen. “Are you a baker?”

Murphy laughs. “I’d say that’s a generous description of what I do. I bake on occasion. But I do enjoy cooking and baking a lot. I’d like to open a restaurant one day.”

“That’s really cool.”

“It’s not that big a deal,” Murphy says, quick to brush off the compliment. Clarke knows a bit of what that’s like, not feeling deserving of praise.

“It is a big deal,” Clarke says. “It’s something that you’re working towards and that you’re passionate about.”

“How often do you say that to people that you had that locked and loaded?”

She rolls her eyes, but she’s still weirdly charmed by this guy. “I have a mom who desperately wanted me to go into medicine like her, but I didn’t. I want to run an art gallery one day. I started out as pre-med in college and didn’t love it. At this point I’ve been having the same conversation with my mom over and over since my sophomore year. Pretty much gotten it down to a science.”

“Kind of sucks that she’s not supportive, though.”

Clarke shrugs. “I’m used to it. And I think she’s finally getting there. Maybe she should’ve been supportive from the start, but it was hard for her to grasp the idea of it when I didn’t have a job in my chosen field. I don’t know. She’s a very practical person. And normally I am too, hence why I stuck with pre-med for so long. But I just couldn’t be practical anymore. I wanted to do something I actually enjoyed.”

“Well, I’m glad you were able to figure it out.”

“Thanks.”

They lapse into silence for a moment, Murphy taking a swig from the champagne bottle. He hands it off to her and she gladly takes a sip. It’s odd to sit here with this guy she barely knows and tell him so much about herself. But he doesn’t seem like a creep. Clarke likes to think she has a good radar for those sorts of things.

“So,” Clarke says, handing the bottle back to him. “I’ve greatly overshared to a stranger. Now it’s your turn. What’s up with you and New Year’s Eve?”

Murphy smiles before taking a long swig from the bottle. “Predictably, it has to do with a girl.”

“Did you guys break up on New Year’s?”

“No, but it’s her favorite holiday, so she always made a really big deal about it. We were together for three years.”

Clarke’s eyes widen. She wouldn’t have pegged this Murphy dude for a long-term relationship guy. “Wow. That’s a long time.”

“Yeah. I honestly kind of thought we would be together forever. Took her for granted. And before I figured out the whole restaurant thing, I was kind of aimless, and she outgrew me. She left, and I don’t blame her. If I’m being honest, we were probably done way before the actual break up happened.”

“I’m sure it was still tough,” Clarke says.

Murphy lets out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, it was. But I think we’re both better off now. She’s engaged and doing really well at her job, and I’ve finally figured out what I want to do. Just working this job so I can save up for culinary school.”

“It sucks that you had to go through something hard to figure out what you wanna do, but I’m glad you were able to figure it out.”

He nods, a small smile spreading across his face as he looks at Clarke. “Yeah, me too.”

Clarke reaches for another cream puff, trying to ignore the way her stomach flips as Murphy smiles at her. Unfortunately, they reach for the same one and their hands brush against each other, making her stomach flutter even more. What is it about this guy that’s making Clarke feel this way? She shouldn’t want to feel this way?

Murphy checks his watch. “It’s a couple minutes to midnight. I’m sure you want to get back to your friend.”

Clarke sees the out that Murphy is giving her. Inexplicably, she doesn’t take it.

“Nah, I know her well enough to know she’s probably still hanging out with that hot guy. I’d just be a third wheel,” she explains.

Murphy smiles, and Clarke thinks she can see a bit of relief that she wants to keep sitting with him. She gets it. For the first time in a while, she doesn’t feel so alone, either.

“You’ll laugh at this,” Clarke continues. “Before we left my apartment, my friend dared me to find someone to kiss at midnight. So I figure if I keep avoiding her until we leave, she’ll be too busy thinking about that guy she’s talking with to remember to check in to see if I followed through.”

“Nobody here up to your standards?” he quips.

“It’s not that. More like I agreed to get her off my back, but then I didn’t do a very good job of looking. I guess I didn’t really try, but I didn’t want to have to admit that I’m not as over my breakup as I thought. Sorry, that sounds really dumb.”

“It’s not dumb. It takes as long as it takes. It took me a stupid amount of time to get over my ex.”

“Yeah, well you guys dated for three years. I only really dated this guy for six months.”

Murphy shrugs. “Time doesn’t always make a difference.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

They lapse into silence again, Clarke taking Murphy in. All night she’s been fighting the weird pull she feels towards him, but for the first time since she bumped into him by the food, she decides to let it happen. He’s been nothing but nice, even if they did get off on a weird note. Something in her gut tells her that their story doesn’t end here.

“You know, if you don’t want to lie to your friend about your dare, you could always kiss me,” he says slowly.

Clarke stares in disbelief, not completely sure she’s heard him correctly. “What?”

“You could kiss me. Only if you want to. But I figured I’d offer, since I can hear people counting down inside.”

Clarke listens and finds that he’s correct. She can hear people chanting. Thirty seconds to go.

“You don’t have to, Murphy. It’s not a big deal.”

“I don’t mind. Really. And it’s not like I think it’d be a chore, you’re very pretty.”

Clarke is only a little embarrassed by the giggle that escapes her mouth. She’s glad they’re out in the darkness, so he can’t see the blush that’s spreading across her cheeks.

“Maybe kissing you wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world,” she decides.

Murphy laughs at this, leaning in slightly. Clarke feels herself leaning in as the countdown continues faintly in the background.

_10, 9, 8, 7, 6…_

Clarke moves the plate from in between them, inching closer to Murphy with each passing second. She can feel his breath on her now, his eyes never leaving hers as their faces get closer together.

_5, 4, 3, 2, 1…_

Clarke closes her eyes as Murphy’s mouth finds hers. His stubble scratches her face, but she welcomes the feeling. Otherwise, his lips are soft on hers. It’s very much a first kiss, and it doesn’t last that long, but she’s surprised how much she misses the contact once Murphy pulls away.

“Happy New Year, Clarke,” he says, barely above a whisper.

“Happy New Year, Murphy,” she says back.

“My break is about to be over.”

“Oh, right. You’re still working.”

Murphy chuckles. “Yeah. Can I get your number? Maybe we can hang out when I’m not mid-shift.”

Clarke nods. “I would like that.” She pulls out her phone and he puts in his phone number and sends himself a quick text so that he has hers as well.

“I should probably see where Josephine is,” Clarke says.

Murphy nods, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I have to head back in.”

They gather their belongings and head back into the building. Murphy disposes of the champagne bottle before they walk inside again. They stop once they’re back in the lobby.

“So I guess I’ll call you?” Murphy asks.

Clarke nods. “Yeah. And you don’t have to do that dumb thing where you wait a couple of days or anything like that. Just call whenever.”

He chuckles. “Noted.”

Clarke’s not sure what comes over her, but she leans in and presses another kiss to Murphy’s lips. It’s weird how she so quickly feels like she could get used to kissing him, and she almost doesn't want to let herself think that. But if anything, maybe this evening has proven to her that she’s more ready to date again than she thought. Or maybe she’s just been searching for the right person.

“I’ll see you around,” she says, before turning to walk back into the ballroom. She can’t help but smile at the goofy grin she noticed on his face before she turned. Whatever effect Murphy has on Clarke, she must have the same one on him, and the mere thought makes her giddy. If he doesn’t text her tomorrow, she’ll certainly be texting him.

**________________________**

Josephine has never felt so immediately comfortable with a guy, but she’s spent the past hour and a half with Gabriel, and she’s almost sad that she has to leave him behind. Why would the universe send her the most perfect guy right before she has to move? How is that at all fair? Still, she makes good on her promise to him to make the most of the time they have left.

They dance for a while, just enjoying each other’s company. Gabriel does ridiculous moves to make her laugh. Right off the bat, Josephine feels like she can be herself with him, because he is being so authentically himself. He makes corny jokes that she probably wouldn’t laugh at if someone else told her, but it’s Gabriel, so they’re different. It feels like she’s known him for more than an hour. It’s a crazy thing to be thinking, but for some reason it doesn’t scare Josephine all that much.

Eventually they take a break from dancing to head to the bar. It feels fitting to ring in the new year with glasses of champagne.

“Didn’t you say you were here with a friend? Where do you think she ran off to?” Gabriel asks once they have their drinks.

“Well, before you walked up to the table, she did say she was going to get food. But I gave her a little bit of a dare tonight, so she might be making good on that,” Josephine explains.

“What was the dare?”

“I dared her to find someone to kiss at midnight.”

Gabriel chuckles. “That’s very bold.”

She shrugs. “What can I say? I’m a bold person. And I know she’s been a bit stuck on a breakup she had recently, so I hoped that maybe this would get her out of her head. It’s kind of silly, but I thought it might help, since I knew she wouldn’t tell me it was bothering her.”

“A roundabout way of getting there, but that’s nice of you. You’re a good friend.”

Josephine blushes. “Thanks.”

“So are you looking for someone to kiss at midnight?” Gabriel asks.

“Huh?” She looks up at him in surprise. She’d been having such a nice time that she’d almost forgotten she was technically supposed to find someone to kiss too.

“I mean, you dared your friend to do it. So I thought you might have said you’d do the dare as well.”

Josephine smiles, but raises an eyebrow. “Is this your way of asking if you can kiss me at midnight?”

Gabriel leans in to whisper in her ear. “And what if it is?”

Josephine tries to control the shiver that runs down her spine at Gabriel in such close proximity to her. She finds her voice in order to whisper back, “Then I’d say you have my permission.”

He smiles, putting his glass down on the table in front of them. He steps further into her space, resting his forehead on hers. Their lips are practically on each other, but he stops just before.

“It’s not midnight yet,” Josephine breathes.

“We’re only like a minute early,” Gabriel says. “I think it’ll still count.”

With that, he closes the distance between them, and Josephine is immediately lost in his touch. For a moment, she forgets where she is, all that matters is Gabriel’s lips on hers. She wraps her arms around his neck, leaning further into the kiss, allowing his tongue to slip into her mouth. Kissing him already feels like second nature, as though they’ve done this before. She can vaguely hear the other people in the ballroom counting down around her, but none of that matters. All that matters is her and this moment with Gabriel that she tries to soak up absolutely every second of before she has to go.

They break their kiss as silver confetti drops down from the ceiling and the room erupts in cheers as people ring in the new year. Josephine hasn’t felt so giddy in a while and she feels even more giddy at the bright smile on Gabriel’s face once they pull away.

“That was nice,” he says.

“Yeah,” she agrees.

“So I know you’re moving next week, but if I’m ever in Sanctum, can I look you up?”

“I’d be offended if you didn’t.”

He laughs, and a warmth fills Josephine that she didn’t know was possible to feel.

“So now that it’s midnight, I guess I should probably go find my friend,” Josephine says.

Gabriel nods. “I understand. I had a lot of fun with you tonight, Josephine.”

“Same here. It was really nice to meet you. I hope I see you again.”

He smiles. “You will. Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year, Gabriel.”

He leans in to press a kiss to her cheek before walking off into the crowd. Josephine watches him go for a moment, head spinning in the best way at her entire evening with him. She hopes one day he does make it to Sanctum. There’s a feeling in her gut that this isn’t the end of her story.

She’s broken out of her thoughts by Clarke finally returning to the table. She has a big smile on her face.

“I did it!” she declares.

Josephine frowns. “What did you do?”

“I kissed a guy at midnight.”

“Really? I didn’t think you would do it!”

Clarke rolls her eyes. “I told you, I don’t back down from a dare.”

“Who’d you even kiss? You went to get food and then I never saw you again.”

“It was a guy on the catering staff. He’s pretty cute and we ended up hanging out. And I got his number!”

“Clarke, I’m so impressed!”

“I can be fun when I want to be. And I saw that you seemed to be pretty busy talking to a really hot guy for most of the night.”

Josephine twirls a piece of hair in her hand, as she reminisces on the evening she just had. “Yeah. His name is Gabriel, he’s a doctor. And he was honestly kind of perfect for me.”

Clarke frowns. “Really? That’s a bummer, since you’re leaving.”

She shrugs. “In some ways. But tonight was just really magical, so I’m going to hold on to that.”

“That’s a nice way to look at it.”

“Just trying to stay positive. Do you wanna go get fast food? Rich people appetizers just aren’t filling.”

Clarke perks up. “Yes, please. I could definitely use some fries.”

“Great, I’ll call a Lyft.” Josephine pulls out her phone as she and Clarke make their way out of the ballroom.

“Oh,” Clarke says after a moment. “Happy New Year, Josie.”

Josephine smiles. “Happy New Year, Clarke.”

“I know we didn’t really hang out together all that much tonight. And I know you had an ulterior motive when you dared me to kiss somebody, but I’m glad you convinced me to do it. I had a lot of fun tonight.”

“Damn, you caught me. But it worked and you seem excited, so you can’t even be mad.”

Clarke chuckles. “I’m not mad. I’m just glad we both had a fun night.”

Josephine wraps an arm around her best friend’s shoulders and pulls her close. “Yeah, me too. And trust me, we will have many more fun nights when you come to visit me in Sanctum. With many more dares.”

“Okay, fine. So long as it’s nothing illegal.”

“No promises.”

Clarke groans, causing Josephine to laugh. She doesn’t know what she’d do without her best friend by her side. Josephine isn’t sure what she expected out of this evening, but the one thing she knew is that she wanted it to be epic. It certainly was, but not necessarily in the way she would’ve imagined. She never would’ve imagined finding basically her dream guy at the Arkadia Foundation’s New Year’s Eve party, that’s for sure. She doesn’t feel the sadness she expected she’d feel at the end of the night, but rather hope for what’s to come. She’s about to embark on a new and exciting journey, she made out with a great guy, and she inadvertently helped her friend get over a breakup. All in all, the new year seems to be off to a pretty good start.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you think.
> 
> If you're curious to see what else I have coming up, check out my [tentative posting schedule](https://queenemori.tumblr.com/post/641216982338945024/karas-upcoming-fic-schedule-this-is-my-pinned) that's posted on my blog.
> 
> As always, come find me on [Tumblr](https://queenemori.tumblr.com/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/queen_emori).


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